Furnace tilting mechanism



Oct. 25, 1932. T. A. FEEHAN FURNACE TILTING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 50,1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1932' T. A. FEEHAN FURNACE TILTING MECHANISM FiledNov. 50. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE THOMAS ARTHUR FEEHAN, 0F TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOAJAX ELECTRO- THERMIC CORPORATION, OF AJAX PARK, NEW JERSEY, ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FURNACE TILTING MECHANISM Application filedNovember 30, 1931.

The invention relates to the discharge or pouring mechanism of afurnace, ladle or other container of molten metal adapting the containerto be tilted for the pouring of its contents from a spout normally abovethe level of the melt.

It is believed the invention will have its widest application withinduction electric furnaces or ladles in which the inductively heatedmolten charge may have been initially melted in the furnace ormerelyreceived already molten and kept hot by inductive heating forsubsequent operations, and for this reason the containers are hereinconventionally called furnaces or electric furnaces.

A purpose of the invention is to use an early portion of the tiltingmovement of a furnace preparatory to pouring to project the furnaceforwardly at its delivery spout from its normal position and to use alater portion of the tilting movement to pour without substantial changein the forward projection of the spout.

' A further purpose is to provide the forward or discharge side of anelectric furnace 'with two horizontal pivots, one low near the bottom ofthe furnace and the other high at or near the furnace spout, and to tiltthe furnace first with respect to the low pivot to forwardly project thefurnace at its spout and then with respect to the high pivot to pourwithout substantial change in the position of the discharging stream.

A further purpose is to avoid structure projecting beyond the front ofan induction furnace in upright position, while permitting aconsiderable forward movement of the furnace in pouring.

A further purpose is to provide a rocker that gives pivot support to afurnace at a point upwardly from the rocker pivot and preferablyforwardly thereof with a range of arcuate movement adapting it toautomatically bodily forwardly shift the furnace at a high portionthereof during an early portion of the tilting of the furnace and thento support the furnace with its pivot axis stationary during pouring,preferably subsequently using the retraction of the furnace toautomatically retract the rocker.

Serial No. 577,892.

A further purpose is to provide a yoke support for a pivot of a tiltingfurnace with a limited range of arcuate movement.

A further purpose is to bring a furnace resiliently to rest after it hasbeen poured.

A further purpose is automatically to open electrical supply connectionto the inductor coil when the furnace is tilted, and to reestablishconnection when the furnace returns to its erect position.

Further purposes will appear in thespecification and in the claims.

I have elected to show one only of the many forms of my invention,selecting however, a form that is practical and efiicient in operationand which well illustrates the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tilting furnace structure thatembodies a desirable form of my invention.

F i ure 2 shows the furnace of Figure 1 in a di erent position, thefurnace being in a. normal upright position in Figure 1 and partiallytiltedin Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the tilting of thefurnace progressed further than in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of Figure 1.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to thedrawings I A tilting furnace of the character indicated has in the pastbeen provided with a stationary horizontal pivot horizontally offsetfrom the center of the furnace toward the spout thereof and a support onthe rearward side vertically movable to tilt the furnace about itspivot.

The pivotal axis has been at or near the delivery point of the spout ofthe furnace in order to avoid change in the position of the deliveryportion of the furnace during pourtionary mold or other receiver.

It frequently happens that an initial forward projection of the spoutportion of the furnace is quite desirable, so much so that in the pastit has been obtained by means of the low pivot which has accomplishedthe desired result at the expense of the undesirable progressive forwardshifting of the delivery during pouring.

I provide means whereby the desired forward projection of the furnace atits spout takes place during an initial portion of the lifting of therearward side of the furnace before the beginning of pouring and wherebyduring the actual pouring the forward projection of the spout andtherefore the position of the delivering stream makes substantially nochange.

In the illustration any furnace to which my invention is adapted to beapplied is shown at 10 as an induction heating furnace of a well-knowntype, having an inductor coil 10.

The furnace 10 is carried in a suitable structural frame 11 and has adelivery spout 12 in the middle of the upper edge of the furnace front13.

The furnace during normal heating sits upright as shown in Figure 1,resting at the rear on seats 14 and at front presenting laterallyextending pivot pins 15 into pillow bearings 16 at the upper end of arocker 17, and the rocker 17 in turn carrying alined stub shafts 18supported in stationary bearings 19 at the top of pedestals 20.

The pivot pins 15 are suitably located so that their common axis passesacross the front of the furnace at or near the, delivery point of thespout 12 and the fixed pivots 18 of the rocker when the furnace is inits nor- :mal position of Figure 1 axially cross the forwardly when thefurnace is in the position of Figure 1.

As illustrated the frame carries at opposite sides of the furnace anglestop blocks 21 in position to engage the rocker and in cooperation withthe pivots 18 to hold the rocker in the position on Figure 1 when thefurnace is in its corresponding retracted position.

The rocker 17 is shown as a structural yoke with upwardly directed armscarrying the trunnions 18 and a cross connection 22 between the arms.

The yoke is provided with a limited range of angular movement and asshown carries a horizontal rod 23'spaced below and parallel to the fixedpivots 18, with the ends of the rod projecting through slots 24 in thepedestals to limit the angular movement of the yoke with respect to itspivots 18, by engagement with the pedestal at the rearward ends of theslots when the rocker reaches the selected limit of its forwardposition, as that shown in Figures 2 and 3.

It will be seen that the rocker 17 shown as a yoke having arms uponopposite sides of the furnace need not comprise an integral member,optionally the arms of the yoke being relatively separate and eachprovided with a fixed pivot 18 toward the lower end, pivot connection 15toward the upper end with the front of the furnace and with a stop 21making a lost motion connection between the furnace and arm adapting thearm and furnace to move as a unit during the early portion of thetilting movement.

The seats 25 at the rearward side of the furnace are suitably maderesilient and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 each seat includes aheaded bar 26 movable up and down in a suitable vertical guide-way ofthe seat and pressed upwardly by a spring 27.

Supply of power to the inductor coil 10' takes place through bus bars 10which are stationary and connect when the furnace is erect with contacts10 mounted on the furnace body. When the furnace tilts connection inbroken, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

When the furnace is ready for pouring its rearward side is lifted in anysuitable way as by means of a hook and chain 28.

During the initial portion of the lifting, the furnace is in effectpivoted at the pivots 18 of the rocker member, the rocker member movingas a unit with the furnace until the rocker reaches the limit of itsangular movement to the right. At this point the movement of the rockeris stopped by reason of an engagement between the ends of the rod 23 andthe pedestals 29 in the slots 24. During the initial movement of thefurnace, connection between the bus bars 10 and the contacts 10 isbroken.

The result of this initial movement has been to forwardly project thespout of the furnace, the furnace being now in the position shown inFigure 2 there having as yet been no relative movement between thefurnace, and the rocker, the rocker however hav ing now come to thelimit of forward movement with the level of the molten charge within thefurnace suitably at or near that 'of the spout. v

During continued upward movement of the hook and chain the furnace turnsabout the pivots 15 without movement of the pivotal axis and thereforewithout substantial change in the position of the delivery stream outthe spout in that the delivery portion of the spout is at or near thepivotal axis of the pins 15, Figure 3 showing the furnace raised to itsultimate delivery position or near thereto.

During the retraction, the furnace follows back the same path, firstturning about the pivots 15 with the rocker member stationary in theposition of Figures 2 and 3 until, after the furnace has moved down fromthe position of Figure 3 to that of Figure 2, an engagement occursbetween the stops 14 on the frame of the furnace and the bottom of therocker 17, preventing further angular movement of the furnace withrespect to the rocker.

As a result during the continued downward retractive movement of thefurnace the rocker and furnace move as a unit, coming finally to rest inthe position of Figure 1. During the latter part of the return movementof the furnace to its erect position, the

bus bars 10 engage the contacts 10 This preferably occurs just after thefurnace en gages the resilient stops 25, to prevent battering of thecontacts. a

In View of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet inthe rocker about the fixed pivot during an i initial portion ofthe range of movement of the rearward side of the furnace.

2. A furnace of the character indicated, in combination withhorizontally spaced alined bearings near the front and bottom of thefurnace and on opposite sides thereof, a

means for lifting and lowering the furnace.

at the rearward side thereof along a range of movement.

3. In an'electric induction furnace, a furnace body, an inductor coil inthe body, tilting mechanism comprising levers pivotally supported neartheir lower ends and pivotally mounting the furnace body near theirupper ends, cooperating switch contacts in two sets, one set of which ismounted on and movable with the furnace body and the other set of whichis stationary, connections from the inductor coil to the contacts of theset movable with the furnace body and resilient stops for engaging thefurnace before the contacts are in their limiting closed position toabsorb the shock of closing.

THOMAS ARTHUR FEEHAN.

dividual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to,others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure I shown, and I, therefore, claimall such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scopeof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A furnace of the character indicated, incombination with means for progressively raising the rearward side ofthe furnace throughout a range of movement and subsequentlyprogressively retracting the said side downwardly along the range, arocker support for the forward side thereof having a pivotal connectionwith the furnace, a fixed pivot for the rocker downwardly and rearwardlyfrom the c'onnectionwith'the furnace, means limiting the range ofpivotal movement of the rocker, a lost motion connection between thefurnace and rocker adapting the furnace when itself in normal uprightposition to hold the roclrer in a retracted position and to moveforwardly as a unit with

